NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 175, 12 April 1923, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY

It seems likely that the only important outcome of the snap division in which the Bonar Law Government was defeated will bo to expedite the consolidation of’the Unionist forces in the House oi Commons. Developments were already tending in that direction. In view of the evidently growing inclination of the two wings of the Liberal Party to re-unite, Mr. Austen Chamberlain, Sir Robert Horne, and other Unionist ex-Ministors and members, who favoured the continuation of the Coalition, are under no obligation to hold aloof any longer from the main body of their party. Iho whole tendency for .the time being is to revert to old party lines, and-in spite of its defeats at successive by-elections, tho Bonar Law Government retains an ample majority. It is not by any means certain, however, that the last has been heard of a combination of Unionist and Liberal forces in the United Kingdom. Mow that the Laobur Party has attained important dimensions, a Unionist-Liberal combination may sooner or later offer itself as the only obvious alternative to instable three-party politics. •

A CABLED statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mb. Baldwin), shows that the British Government thinks it unlikely that Mb. Massey will be able to attend this Imperial Conference which m to open at the beginning of October. All the other Dominion Prime Ministers will be in London at that time, and India also will be represented The conference is to deal, amongst other things, with Imperial preference, and with defence. It becomes, in these circumstances, very necessary to consider whether there really need bo any difficulty about New Zealand being represented by its 1 rime Minister at this highly-important, conference. It is perfectly clear that no suchdifficulty need arise if the parties in Parliament, or even the two main parties, adopt a reasonable and public-spirited attitude, there is, of course, no question of showing any special consideration to Mr. Massey or to the Government. The point to be determined-is whether or not the Dominion is to be represented effectively at an Imperial Conference dealing with affairs in which it is vitally concerned. It is undoubtedly open to the political parties to reconcile an effective treatment of local affairs during the impending session with the representation of the Dominion by its Prime* Minister at the Imperial Conference. It.is for the parties and their leaders to say how the matter may best be arranged, but failure to make such an arrangement as will meet the case, clearly would amount to an inexcusable failure in loyalty to the Dominion and the Empiie.

The material point about the German Chancellor’s latest speech is’that it alters the terms on which. Germany was recently declared to bo ready to negotiate a settlement of the reparations question. About a week ago it was announced, on behalf of the .German Government, that it would not insist upon the evacuation of the Ruhr as a condition precedent to the opening Df negotiations. Herr Cuno now states that 'Germany stands by “her offer to resume negotiations 'immediately the enemy evacuated the Ruhr.”. The actual position evidently is that Germany has withdrawn an offer to resume negotiations prior to the evacuation of the Ruhr. Obviously this change of front is inspired by the hope of making capital out of the recent affair at Essen, in .which a number of Germtln workmen were shot by French troops. On the particulars available, the Essen incident was unfortunate and tragic. But even if it is assumed that a wrong was committed, it is of infinitesimal importance in comparison with the carnival of murder, outrage, and destruction of which the German armies were guilty in France and Belgium. At worst, tjho action of the French troops at Essen was due to a panicky error of judgment, and nothing but unscrupulous hypocrisy will account for the German Chancellor and his Government attempting to find in the circumstances a pretext for investing Germany with a crown of martyrdom, and holding up France to the reprobation of the civilised world. If tho German Government is insisting that the Ruhr must be evacuated before negotiations are opened, then Germany, and Germany alone, is making a peaceful settlement of the reparations question for the time being impossible.